Crater Environs: Up Mazamas, Down Old Chute (w/ Rt-Audible) & Lower WCR
Quick report
Brushed off and outwitted (as always so far) a few “minders” (double entendre) to have one last superb ski-mountaineering day of the season, a warm, min-wind bluebird tour from Timberline (1030) up Climber’s Trail thru Mazamas Chute (1730). While soft, settling a/o prior tracks made for efficient skinning & booting. Skied Old Chute (right audible to avoid track chop) thru Lower WCR and out via Zigzag Glacier snow-bridge-hopping to just below Silcox to TH (1930). Will let pics convey worthy obs (wish I knew a pic-text App update occurred haha), but stable day beyond Steel Cliff rockfall and the 2 noted loose wet on steep terrain. An hour later shading on our ski possibly explains why similar safety ski cuts produced no results.
Avalanche
Observed two small D1 skier-triggered loose wet at around 5:30pm. The first on initial drop-in cut at top of chute bw Old Chute and Mazamas Chute (1-oclock Chute?). As slid past me (guy had kindly waited for me to get clear before dropping in) initially gaining girth toward climber below, warning given to ascending climber, but prob thx to heavily-tracked terrain the debris stopped well before reaching him (maybe 100-150’ total). The second happened few minutes later on skier’s left-side portion of Lower WCR. As crag disrupted my view, didn’t see the start, but given same rider and he knew the warm conditions strategy and I saw him ride out further below shortly thereafter, guessing another intentional ski cut loose wet. See pics.